God will Answer...in His Timing

Give it to God – Jeff Petkevicius
February 2017
This morning, I was organizing all of the columns I’ve written and wow… God has blessed me with this out-reach since 2013!  As I was going through and filing the articles, I came across one I started a couple years ago, but didn’t turn into a column.  After reading it, God’s timing is perfect… I just gotta share it with ya’ll.
OUR GOD is faithful to the faithful!  Confession time... Got back from Bedford TX, Pro BBQ competition #111 for me..(I’m now at #146, so this was a couple years back).  I love being involved with Pro BBQ and Love telling people about Jesus...however, I was wondering if God wanted me to stay here doing this work or moving along to another ministry.  Cook's Church is running along all over the country with brothers taking up the torch for Jesus and God gets all the glory for that.... so I'm thinking, the seeds are planted, the work is moving along, God is a part of Pro BBQ where it was NOT 5 years ago, so, IS my work here done...  Caroline and I were taking our morning walk yesterday and I was sharing this thought.  Keep in mind, that no matter what God wants me doing...I'm ALL IN.  If that means Prison ministry, Homeless, 3rd world etc... Where He needs me, I will serve HIM.... and then this morning I get this message:
Hi Jeff,
I cooked my first KCBS competition this weekend in Bedford.  What a blast!  I feel a little bit weird just sending you an email out of the blue, but I feel like I need to share some things with you.
When I made the decision to cook the competition I started doing some searches on YouTube on rookie bbq contest etc. and I came across your Rookie Reality series.  I watched the first video and was hooked.  I pretty much watched them all in one day while I was smoking a pork shoulder.  I just thought, how cool is this!  He's taking two of the things I love most Jesus and BBQ and making a ministry out of this.
After I watched those videos, I also watched your series on getting started in competitive BBQ, and then I started some of your more recent videos.  I just want you to know how much your videos and ministry has meant to me personally over the past couple months and encourage you to keep fighting the good fight.  I got a lot of good information on how to start my team, but more importantly I was able to see your heart for the Lord.
Your honesty is at times brutal and your message is challenging for the average Christian.  There is conviction that comes to me that I'm not doing enough to make the Lord known to others.  Yet there is always compassion and authentic realness and oftentimes humor in your message.  We have the best news available and it can't be hidden under a bushel!  Thank you so much for sharing the good news and thank you for challenging fellow Christians to share the good news as well.  In the end, I know all the glory goes to God, but I just wanted to thank you for things that you have unknowingly imparted into my life since I discovered your ministry.
As Hebrews 3:13 says: But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
My only regret is not sticking around after church to tell you this in person.  God willing, perhaps someday our paths will cross again.
God bless you and keep you,
I guess I got my answer....What an amazing God we serve.  to the Faithful, HE is faithful... God has a plan for you that you can't imagine until you allow Him to mold you into the servant He needs with your life... Words can't describe how powerful and peaceful that becomes when you give God your whole heart   What are you waiting for? :)
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. 9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. [Rom 12:1-13 NLT]